Krista Ronk

How I Used AI and My Current Thoughts About It

For this page, I used Google Gemini to generate the image found in the "The Teacher I will Become" page and to help me figure out my educational philosophy. I used AI  to learn about the five different educational philosophies, then asked it to give me a short answer quiz that it then analyzed to see which were the best fit for me. It did a pretty good job too! 

The prompt I used to generate the image was: I would like you to generate an image that represents a blend of the essentialist and progressivist educational philosophies that depicts the teacher as a facilitator for learning, someone who guides students to discover things on their own. The image should show the teacher as a tour guide in nature and a whole class of diverse students as explorers. The students to be exploring independently while the teacher helps where she is needed.

My current approach to AI is balance. I think that we are not going to go backwards, so AI is here to stay and for better or worse will become integrated into education - likely sooner rather than later. I personally will be using it as sparingly as possible, as I am aware of the environmental impacts it has, as well as the fact that it is easy to become dependent upon AI. There will be situations where it is appropriate to use AI, but I want to make sure that my students are still receiving the in-person, hands-on education that they deserve. 

Krista, 

I really like the continuity and the visual simplicity in the design of your presentation.  The clip art is adorable.  I am also equally progressive but with existentialism.  I think you did a great job of blending the two together when not only talking about your educational philosophies, but also in your priorities in the children you desire to teach.  I can visualize you in a classroom having a structured routine learning vocabulary, (essentialism) and then apply those vocabulary words into a hands-on project (progressivism.) The hands-on experiences that you give them will help them to fulfill your desire to have your students feel accepted and included, but then also help them with basic skills needed.  -Kris Clayton

Hi Krista. I really enjoyed reading your "About the Author Page". Your page was welcoming, informative, and fun to read. I liked the pictures of your dog and cat.  I do agree with you that it is very important for children to feel safe in their classroom environment in order to learn effectively. I loved the comment that you posted stating, "you want your students to see each other as equals" and "promote belonging, collaboration, and leadership". I think it is so important for educators to ensure that all students are respected, valued, and treated fairly. I agree with you about wanting to learn more teaching strategies for classroom management. I think establishing a positive classroom environment, building a strong rapport with your students, and using positive reinforcement will be very effective and beneficial. ~Kimberly Greelish

Hi! I really enjoyed reading your page and learning about how you used AI to explore your educational philosophy. I think it’s really creative how you asked it to quiz you and then used the results to reflect on which philosophies fit you best. The image prompt you shared is also so thoughtful—I love the idea of the teacher as a tour guide with students as explorers. That visual really captures what it means to guide students rather than just lecture to them.  - A. Lopez